By Emma G. Harrison, Staff Writer
Miscommunication happens all the time; in business, in relationships, and in schools. Most everyone has dealt with communication issues at some point, and Knoxville’s local colleges are no exception to this problem. Not having good, clear communication negatively affects the student body.
The lack of communication at Pellissippi State Community College, in particular, hinders students from engaging in communities and campus life, and will continue to do so unless we utilize solutions to build a more connected community that is accessible for everyone.
To understand the solution, we must first understand the problem. At Pellissippi State, many students struggle to stay informed and engaged with campus life. From overlooked events in the school’s online calendar to missing publicity for student-led communities, a lack of communication does nothing but cause problems. Pellissippi State is slowly building a reputation with these types of issues, further hindering the school’s ability to grow.
Pellissippi State’s communication resources are often spread across multiple unreliable platforms such as emails, flyers, websites, BrightSpace announcements, and the occasional social media post, making it hard for students to keep track of what is happening on and off campus. As a result, students and faculty miss out on key opportunities to build relationships and foster an inclusive community.
In such a diverse college with many different groups, clubs, organizations, and more, direct and constant communication with students and employees is vital; colleges need this type of communication if they want to build a sense of community and support. The burden isn’t only on the college, however. The students and the school can be equal parts of the solution, since they both have a shared responsibility to make Pellissippi State the best it can be.
Students need to be looking for ways to get involved, and, when they see or attend an event, can also share information about the event via social media. This helps get the word out to their personal connections across campus, creating a communicative network. The school’s solution is more obvious. Pellissippi State needs to implement a direct messaging system to communicate to students with ease.
Using a direct messaging system would do more than just build community; it would also create an opportunity-rich college experience from which all students and faculty would benefit. More communication provides better understanding and more frequent learning, all leading to better success college-wide. Apps like Slack or Flare are designed to break these types of communication barriers in systems like schools and businesses, as well as providing learning opportunities that encourage growth.
Stefan Müller writes about this in his article “How Slack Facilitates Communication and Collaboration in Seminars and Project-Based Courses,” explaining that studies have shown the use of Slack in the classroom encourages communication between the students and the teacher. He further notes that, when Slack is used, students not only ask more questions, but also read the responses in the chat, creating more learning opportunities for everyone; this type of learning can be applied school-wide.
Teachers and administration can use this platform not only for teaching and involving students, but to encourage collaboration and community as well. In his studies, Müller found that between 130 to 383 messages were sent between the participants per week–imagine how much more students can learn with the availability of Slack.
Slack channels aren’t hard to set up either. Step-by-step instructions are provided to help teachers and students get started, so there is nothing holding classrooms back from making the shift to Slack. The benefits are endless to having a resource like this in the classroom and campus-wide.
Along with Slack, Flare would also be another great addition to help tackle Pellissippi State’s communication issues. Flare is a great alternative to direct messaging with students. Shifting away from email, Flare would help students get updates in real time, providing an easy way to build on the community. Flare also has a one-ended messaging feature that would allow only the school to send messages to the students, which would work perfectly for broadcasting information school-wide. Along with these benefits of Flare, the app is free and has no limit to the number of people on channels, leaving room for growth at Pellissippi State.
Some might argue that Pellissippi State does not have the money for this switch to direct messaging; however, most of these platforms are free to the public unless you choose to purchase the premium plan. Slack works on all types of devices with a browser system, and there is even an app for your mobile device. According to Müller, more than 10 million users and organizations use Slack, but only about 50,000 choose to pay for the premium plan.
Another argument could be made that students need to be looking for clubs and campus updates. While students should certainly play an active role in participation with the college community, the job of the college and the people it employs is to help students learn and grow. By not taking every opportunity to do so, the learning and development of the student body is being stunted.
Pellissippi State has so many amazing resources and communities, and the decision not to publicize all these opportunities the college has to offer is a lost opportunity for growth, resulting in a less impactful student experience. Pellissippi State should be proud of what they have built and encourage students through publication that the community students build is a vital key to the Pellissippi experience. The school must create a change in its communication system for this beautiful place to continue to grow.
